David Blatt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Medal record | |||
 David Blatt |
|||
Competitor for  Russia |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| European Championships | |||
| Gold | 2007 Spain | Russia | |
David Blatt (Hebrew:דיוויד בלאט ;born 22 May 1959 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American-Israeli present day basketball coach and a former basketball point guard. Today he is one of the most successful American coaches in European basketball.
Blatt played basketball at Princeton University from 1977 to 1981 under coach Pete Carril. He participated in the Maccabiah Games as part of the USA national team that won a gold medal in 1981.
After competing in the Maccabiah Games, Blatt decided to abandon his American career and began to play basketball in Israel.
[edit] Playing career
- 1977-1981 Princeton University
- 1981-1984 Maccabi Haifa
- 1984-1986 Basketball in the USA.
- 1986-1987 Hapoel Jerusalem
- 1987-1988 Maccabi Natanya
- 1988-1989 Basketball in Elitzor Natanya (also girls' team coach)
- 1989-1990 Hapoel Galil Elyon, also youth team coach
- 1990-1991 Hapoel Jerusalem
- 1991-1992 Ironi Na'ariya (also youth club head coach)
- 1992-1993 Maccabi Hederra (was injured and retired)
[edit] Coaching career
After retiring from basketball he became assistant manager for Hapoel Galil Elyon, coaching them from 1993/94 season. In the middle of the season the head coach was sacked and he took his place. Next, he became Pini Gershon's assistant in the 1994/95 season. In the following year he won the title "Coach of the Year" (1996) and in 1997 he continued coaching at Hapoel Galil Elyon whilst also becoming assistant coach of the Israeli National team.
Blatt returned to coach Galil Elyon and remained assistant manager of the Israeli National team for the next 2 year (1997-1999).
For the 1999/2000 season, he moved to Maccabi Tel Aviv and once again served as assistant manager to Pini Gershon. During this season his team took part in the Israeli League and Cup (won both) and also in the Euroleague where Maccabi finished in 2nd place.
In the years between 2000-2004 he continued as assistant coach under Pini Gershon and actively recruited foreign players such as Anthony Parker (in 2000) and Maceo Baston to the team. During those 4 years, Maccabi won 1 Euroleague title, reached the Euroleague Final Four (2001/2002 season), and reached the final stage of the Adriatic League. Maccabi won the SuproLeague title in 2001, which was held in Paris. Blatt was still working as assistant coach of the Israeli National team in 2002 when he won the title of "Coach of the Year" for the second time, the year he was appointed head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Despite two years as head coach with all possible domestic titles and one Euroleauge Final Four appearance, for the 2003/2004 season he agreed to be demoted to assistant coach once again when Pini Gershon came back to the head coach position. Together they led one of the best teams in Maccabi Tel Aviv history, and the history of European basketball, to another euroleague title with a 44-point win in the final, as well as the Israeli championship and the Israeli cup.
In 2004 he moved to Russia and signed as head coach with Dynamo Saint Petersburg. During this year he won the FIBA EuroCup championship with Dynamo and also the title of "Coach of the Year in Russia" (2004/2005 season).
For the 2005/2006 season he signed as head coach of the Israeli national basketball team, but his appointment fell through due to the lack of a formal coaching certificate. He left Israel to become head coach of Pallacanestro Treviso from Italy, and subsequently led them to the Italian Championship through a 3-1 victory in the final series of the Italian playoffs. In the same year he was also appointed head coach of the Russian National team.
Blatt was the head coach of Istanbul based Turkish team Efes Pilsen, however, parted ways with the team on April 6th 2008. Blatt coaches the Russian national basketball team, with which he won the Eurobasket 2007 (european national teams championship) in a final against the reigning world champions and home team of Spain 60-59.[1] [2]
Many sports experts believe Blatt will be the next coach from Europe to make his way to the NBA.
